According to PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the number of female company heads in Russia more than doubled compared to last year. And the number of women who own their own businesses is also growing. It appears Russian women are at the forefront when it comes to going into business on their own.

As much as 89 percent of small businesses in Russia are owned by women. That makes us number one in the world. I was really surprised by these research findings.

In Women Entrepreneurs in the Global Economy (PDF file), Susanne Jalbert explores the current literature concerning women business owners, explores the role of women entrepreneurs in a global economy, examines how women’s business associations can strengthen women’s position in business and international trade, and explain the missing link in our understanding of economic contributions by female enterprise owners.

Dr. Susanne Jalbert specializes in technical assistance, training, and consulting to small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in developing technical skill training packages, specific training for women’s organizations and the development of training modules. During the last 11 years, Jalbert has traveled, trained, consulted, and lectured in 22 countries. She has a B.A. in management, a master’s degree in education, and a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resources at Colorado State University.

Note: The “Honor Women Globally” illustration above is a pin and can be purchased by clicking on it. We have no affiliation to the organization who is offering it. We just liked the graphic.

According to the “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2006-2007 National Entrepreneurial Assessment for the United States of America,” conducted byBabson College and Baruch College, while U.S. entrepreneurship was 50% higher than the average of all other high-income (GEM) countries and equals the rate in low-and middle-income (GEM) countries, there was a large decline in entrepreneurial activity from 12.4% in 2005 to just 9.6% in 2007.

GEM found that minorities exhibit higher rates of entrepreneurship than whites and exhibit the same demographic and motivation patterns as white entrepreneurs in terms of types of businesses, growth expectation, education, and gender.

One of many key U.S. findings:

• Gender differences remain high for both early-stage entrepreneurs and established business entrepreneurs with entrepreneurship rates for males 50% higher than that of females in the U.S.

Despite a slowdown in Canada’s economy, exporting is still a priority for entrepreneurs. According to a recent survey by KPMG Enterprise, one half of Canadian firms will not alter their expansion plans, even with a shaky global economy.

“Regardless of the current economic climate, private Canadian companies still see opportunities for continued growth and revenue abroad,” says Beth Wilson, National Leader of KPMG Enterprise, “In fact, one-third of the companies we surveyed indicated they would continue to increase their expansion activity regardless of the downturn.”

Some 53% of the 200 CEOs polled say their decision to do business abroad was primarily influenced by the target country’s economy, while 47% say the decision was based on their firm’s internal growth plans. Other factors cited include the local economy (38%) and the overall Canadian economy (32%).

Still, not all Canadian business leaders are so bullish. One-fifth of respondents said they have curtailed their export ambitions, citing the value of the Canadian dollar relative to other currencies and challenges in selling to an ailing U.S. economy.

Even among export proponents there are challenges in raising revenue from foreign operations. One-half of those firms that export said less than 40% of their revenue came from non-Canadian operations, and 50% said they expect their overseas operations will grow by less than 20% in the next five years. Not surprisingly, dollar fluctuations and financial risk were among the top challenges.

Aside from the risks and challenges, there is clearly a strong rationale for continued growth abroad, says Wilson. “At one time, going global was seen as a competitive advantage for big companies. We are now seeing this trend emerge among privately held companies in order to maintain their continued growth and success”

In mid-November, the World Bank Group released a database of laws that entail differential treatment of women and men in business called the Gender Law Library.

The Doing Business Gender Law Library is a collection of national legal provisions impacting women’s economic status in 181 economies. The database facilitates comparative analysis of legislation, serves as a resource for research, and contributes to reforms that can enhance women’s full economic participation.

Why is this important?

Because better economic opportunities for women tend to lead to higher incomes, higher literacy, and better health.

And the better picture we paint of the legal framework shaping a woman’s ability to do business, the greater the positive economic impact women will have in our world.

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wegg® Mission

Our mission is to educate, inspire and nurture women business owners and entrepreneurs worldwide on how to go global so they can run healthier businesses and create a new future for themselves, their families and their community.